Chapter Three: Abaft
Def.: To the rear of
The ship creaked and groaned as it sailed slowly through the waters. The sky was cloudy and gray, giving the area a highly dismal appearance. It had been storming earlier, to the point where some of the Royal Navy's best ships had been sunk. Not this ship, though. It's lack of paint and decorations was more than enough to tell anyone that this ship wasn't owned by the navy, nor by any private rich man. The ship looked like it had been through hell, had seen things that no sane man would ever even dream of. Chunks of wood floated in the water behind it, leaving a trail for anyone to follow. The sails were shredded beyond any man's ability to repair on the open sea. The Jolly Roger was gone. Still, there was no denying the truth.
This was a pirate's ship.
The crew was exhausted. Many looked like they hadn't slept for days. The few that weren't sleeping were busy searching the remaining barrels, crates and sacks for anything to drink. However, water was not their goal.
"Where's all the booze?"
"It must've been carried away in the storm!"
"But why's the rum gone?!"
One man, a lanky thing with a yellow bandana tied around his head, grinned suddenly and straightened from where he'd been crouching over an open crate. "Hey guys, over here!"
The other three men rushed over, eager to quench their burning thirst, only to stare in dismay at the empty bottles resting in the confines of the wooden box. "You idiot!" one man exclaimed angrily, hitting the thin one squarely on the head with a closed fist.
"Ow! What the hell?!"
"These are empty!"
"I didn't know!"
"So pay attention, then!"
Before a full-scale row could break out, a fifth man called out to them from the crow's nest. "I see something out there!"
One of the three who had been searching for a drink walked over to the ship's back railing railing and peered out over the water, using one hand to shield his eyes as he squinted. A moment later, his eyes widened and he leaned back into a straighter posture. "I see it, too!"
"See what?" one of the other three asked, coming to take a look of his own.
"I think it's a boat!" the man on watch in the crow's nest replied, voice raised to be heard over the wind and the waves.
"A boat?"
"Yeah, a small one!"
"Anyone on board?"
"Can't tell!"
The lanky one walked up to the railing to join the other two, rubbing his head with the palm of one hand. "Should we wake the captain?"
"No, not unless there's actually someone out there," one of the other men, one with a red cloth tied around his arm, replied.
"Dontcha think he oughtta know?"
"'Course! But there's no point in waking him if there's nothing on that thing!"
"Whatever."
"Why you- I oughtta punch your face in!"
"Knock it off, you two! I thought you said we weren't gonna wake him!"
They reluctantly fell silent, glaring daggers at each other as they lowered their fists. One of the other men, who hadn't looked away from the boat this whole time gasped suddenly. "What is it?" the man with the red cloth tied around his arm asked.
"I see someone!"
"An enemy?"
"I don't know."
"Is he armed?"
A brief pause followed at first, only to be broken by the sound of the first man swallowing hard. "I think… he's a she."
The red-cloth man's eyes widened. "A woman? Out here?"
The watcher nodded. "I think so. Look! She's in a dress."
They watched, awe-struck, as the boat drifted nearer and nearer. By now, the rest of the crew was awake and staring at the lonely woman. She was dressed in a crimson dress that, while not skin tight, left little to their starved imaginations. Her waist length raven hair was covered by a crimson hat that matched her dress and her serious expression was anything but inviting. It added an air of danger to her appearance, and it had them more than excited by the time her little boat reached the ruins of their ship. "Hello, boys," she called from below.
"Hey, foxy!"
"Want to have some fun?"
"I can make you touch the stars!"
"You'll never want anyone else after being with me!"
She smiled then, her painted ruby lips giving her a mysterious expression. "Let me on your ship."
"Of course!"
"Here's the ladder!"
"Watch your step! I'll catch if you fall!"
"Come over here!"
The woman stepped onto the deck in heeled shoes, smoothing out her dress with a hand as she straightened. She ignored the incessant cat calls emitted from the assorted males around her and looked around. "Where is your captain?"
"In his quarters," one man answered immediately.
She began walking calmly toward said quarters, and another male tried to stop her. "If you think we'll just let you walk in there-"
She whirled them, freeing a dagger from her sleeve, and cut the man's reaching hand, slicing it in an "X" across the palm. Her mysterious smile had returned. "Care to try again?" she asked innocently. When no man moved, she straightened once more, replaced her dagger, and resumed her walk.
As she walked, another man's whisper reached her ears. "I thought I recognized her… That 'X' proves it. She's Lady Blackhope… the most ruthless woman on the seven seas…"
Smiling in spite of herself, she opened the door to the captain's quarters and walked in, shutting the door and locking it behind her. The figure on the bed was still and relaxed and her smile softened just a bit. Silver hair spilled over the edge of the bed, and she knelt beside the frame to touch the silky locks. "It's sinful for a man to have longer hair than I," she murmured, toying with the silvery strands. After a few minutes, she stood and pulled out her dagger again, running it gently across the skin of the man's neck.
A smooth voice caught her attention just a moment later. "I wouldn't recommend it."
She smiled wider and pulled her dagger away as he rolled over halfway to look at her. "I was beginning to worry that you'd sleep throughout my entire visit," she teased lightly, once again replacing her dagger in her dress.
He murmured some sort of reply and sat up, fixing her with a hard look as he stood. "Why are you here?'
"You know why, Sesshomaru."
His smirk was wicked and she couldn't help but grin. Without any warning, he grabbed her waist and yanked her closer, capturing her lips and stealing a kiss in that way that only a pirate could manage. He pulled away moments later, still smirking and watched as she panted breathlessly. "Yes, I am very aware… Kagome."
Ruby lips tilting into another smile, she leaned close and kissed him again, intent on wiping that arrogant smirk off of his face.
Wow, this took a long time to finish! I'm so sorry! Posted 04-15-15.
